Gender Roles In American Women's History

According to the reading assignment American Women’s History A, Short Introduction by Susan Ware finds that during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the was “no simple or linear status” for Indian and European counterparts” (Ware 6). Some aspects of women’s status changed, and some declined. but invariably over a span of time. However, by 1750 a new progressive colonial culture developed defining the difference between European men and women’s value and enforcement of gender roles. Women were important to both the Indians and the Europeans. The Iroquois Natives in New York played a vital role in tribal governance.
Indian women bridged the gap, providing the social and local knowledge between both Indian and European cultures. When Europeans arrived in North America, they were heavily reliant upon Indian trade to survive. The Native American’s possessed the basic essential goods such as food, clothing, and shelter for survival. Therefore, the
The native Americans were shocked to learn Spanish, French, Dutch, English, and European explorers arrived in New America without women. However, Native American women were integral to the family hierarchy. Indians structured their families around matrilineal kin (related to mothers side) relationships. Therefore, to build trade alliances the European embraced kinship relationships as a method to establish trade agreements with Native Americans. Europeans adoption of cultural practice was entirely different than their own. European upper class hunted and fished for sport. Thus, Native Americans minimized Native Americans relevance as hunters. Additionally, agricultural work in the field was considered men's work. On the other hand, agricultural work was considered woman's work to Native American communities. Europeans believed agricultural work was a man's job and women working in agriculture